macOS 13 Ventura is the next major release of the macOS operating system, scheduled for release in end of 2022. With this new release, Apple is introducing a number of new features and improvements, including a new Spotlight, Stage Manager, a new System Preferences experience, and more.
If you’re interested in trying out macOS 13 Ventura early, you can do so by downloading the developer preview from Apple’s developer website or by enrolling in Apple’s beta software program. Keep in mind that this is pre-release software, so it may be unstable and contain bugs. As such, it’s not recommended for use on your primary Mac. In this article, we’ll show you how to download and install macOS 13 Ventura on a second partition.
If you want to try out a new version of macOS, or if you need to use an older version of macOS for compatibility reasons, you have to go through the hassle of uninstalling the current operating system and then installing the other one.
This post is also a method to help you run a dual macOS on your Macbook. By following these simple steps, you can have two versions of macOS installed on your computer at the same time and switch between them as needed.
Why Install macOS 13 Ventura on a Second Partition
There are a few reasons why you might want to install macOS 13 Ventura on a second partition. Perhaps you want to try out the new features but don’t want to risk stability issues on your primary Mac. Or, maybe you’re a developer who needs to test apps and features on the latest beta releases of macOS.
Whatever your reason, it’s relatively easy to set up a dual-boot system with macOS 13 Ventura and your current version of macOS. This way, you can switch back and forth between the two operating systems as needed.
For me, I never plan on actually using a new macOS as my primary operating system. Instead, I just wanted to create a partition so that I could test out the new features and see how they worked. If I found something that I really liked, then I would upgrade my main partition to the new macOS. Otherwise, I could just boot into my old partition and continue using it as normal.
The process of creating a second partition and installing macOS 13 Ventura is relatively simple. However, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind before you get started.
macOS Ventura Compatibility
Make sure your Mac is compatible with macOS 13 Ventura. You can find a list of compatible Macs here.
Back Up Your Mac
Before you do anything, it’s always a good idea to back up your Mac. This way, if something goes wrong, you’ll be able to restore your data from the backup.
There are a few different ways that you can back up your Mac. You can use Time Machine, which is built into macOS, or you can use an external hard drive or cloud service.
Power
Make sure your Mac has a good battery life or is plugged in, as the process of creating a second partition and installing macOS Ventura will require your Mac to be turned on for an extended period of time.
Read more:
How to Install macOS 13 Ventura on a Second Partition
Create a new Partition on Mac
Now, you need to create a new partition on your Mac. This is where macOS 13 Ventura will be installed. I recommend creating a partition that is at least 50 gigabytes in size. Folllowing are the steps for creating a new partition:
1. Open the Disk Utility application from the Utilities folder in your Applications folder.
2. Select your primary hard drive from the left sidebar.
3. Click on the “Partition” button in the main window.
4. In the partition pane, click on the “+” button to add a new partition.
5. Give your new partition a name, such as “macOS Ventura.” Choose how much space you want to allocate to the new partition. I recommend giving it at least 60GB of space. Click on the “Apply” button to apply your changes.
When your Mac is resizing the partitions, do not turn off your Mac or interrupt the process in any way.
Your Mac will now create the new partition and you will see a new volume appear in the left sidebar of Disk Utility.
Note:
If your Mac has not enough space for creating a new partition to install a new macOS, you need to delete some unuseful files or applications from your Mac first. CleanMyMac X is a good tool to help you do this.
Or using an external drive to store some files which you don’t use frequently.
Download macOS 13 Ventura Beta From Apple
Next, you need to download the macOS 13 Ventura installer from Apple. Follow the steps below to do this:
1. Go to Apple Beta Software Program website and sign in with your Apple ID.
2. Click on “Enroll Your Devices” from the top-right corner of the page.
3. Scroll down and click on “Download the macOS Public Beta Access Utility” to download the utility.
4. Once the utility has been downloaded, double-click on it to launch it. And right-click to open macOSPublicBetaAccessUtility.pkg
6. Click on the “Continue” button and follow the prompts to complete the installation process.
The beta software will now be downloaded to your Mac.
Install macOS 13 Ventura on the New Partition
Now that you have downloaded the macOS 13 Ventura developer preview, you’re ready to install it on your new partition. Follow these steps:
Double-click on the “Install macOS Beta” application that was downloaded in the previous step. This will launch the macOS Beta installer. Go to LaunchPad and double-click on Install macOS Beta or go to Application folder and launch it from there.
Click on “Continue” to continue with the installation.
Click on “Agree” to agree to the terms and conditions.
Click Show All Disks…
Select the hard drive that you want to install macOS on from the list of drives. This should be the new partition that you created in Disk Utility.
Click on “Continue” to install macOS Ventura on the selected partition.
Your Mac will reboot and just follow the on-screen instructions to set up your Mac. You will be ready to use macOS 13 Ventura!
The installation process will now begin and may take some time to complete. Once it is finished, your Mac will reboot into the new partition with macOS 13 Ventura installed.
How To Switch Back And Forth Between macOS
Now that you have successfully installed macOS 13 Ventura on your Mac, you may want to switch between it and the stable version of macOS, which is currently macOS Mojave/Big Sur/ Monterey. Follow the steps below to do this:
Mac with an Intell Chip:
- Reboot your Mac and hold down the Option key while it is booting up.
- You will see a list of all the available volumes on your Mac. Select the one that you want to boot into and press Enter.
- Your Mac will now boot into the selected volume.
Mac with Apple silicon M-series chips:
- Resart your Mac and immediately press and hold the Power button until you see the startup disk options.
- Select “macOS” you need to boot by using the trackpad or arrow keys and hit Enter/Return key.
Conclusion
That’s all you need to do to install macOS 13 Ventura on a separate partition. Once you have installed it, you can use it alongside your current version of macOS and test out all the new features that it has to offer. If you decide that you don’t like it, you can always delete the partition and go back to your previous setup.
Do you have any questions about installing macOS 13 on a separate partition? Let us know in the comments and we’ll help you out.
